Bicycle pedal assembly

ABSTRACT

A bicycle pedal assembly includes a pedal and a cleat. The pedal includes a body that rotates about a shaft. Front and rear clamping member are coupled to opposite ends of the pedal body. Each of the clamping members has an engagement surface facing in a first direction. The cleat has front and rear attachment portions that are selectively engageable with the pedal via the front and rear clamping members. Specifically, the front and rear attachment portions have front and rear offset coupling surfaces engageable with the front and rear engagement surfaces. The pedal and the cleat are configured to form a rear float pivot axis on a rear side of a center rotation axis of the pedal and a front cleat release pivot axis on a front side of the center rotation axis.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention generally relates to a bicycle pedal assembly. Morespecifically, the present invention relates clipless or step-in bicyclepedal assembly, which has a rear float pivot axis for relative rotationof the cleat and pedal.

2. Background Information

Bicycling is becoming an increasingly more popular form of recreation aswell as a means of transportation. Moreover, bicycling has become a verypopular competitive sport for both amateurs and professionals. Whetherthe bicycle is used for recreation, transportation or competition, thebicycle industry is constantly improving the various components of thebicycle as well as the frame of the bicycle. One component that has beenextensively redesigned is the bicycle pedal.

In recent years, bicycle pedals have been designed for specific purposessuch as for pleasure, off road biking, road racing, etc. One particulartype of bicycle pedal, which is gaining more popularity, is the step-inor clipless pedal, which releasably engages a cleat secured to the soleof a cyclist's shoe. The clipless pedal has a pedal spindle that can bemounted on the crank of a bicycle, a pedal body that is rotatablysupported on this pedal spindle, and a cleat engagement mechanism. In anoff road bicycle pedal a cleat engagement mechanism is formed on bothsides of the pedal body for engaging a cleat. A road-racing pedal, onthe other hand, typically only has a cleat engagement mechanism on oneside of the pedal body. In either case, in these types of bicyclepedals, the rider steps onto the pedal and the cleat engagementmechanism automatically grips on to the cleat secured to the bottom ofthe cyclist's shoe.

When attaching the cyclist's shoe to the step-in or clipless pedal viathe cleat, the cyclist moves the shoe obliquely downwardly and forwardlyrelative to the pedal body such that the front end of the cleat engagesa front hook or clamping member of the pedal body. Once the front end ofthe cleat is engaged with the front hook of the pedal body, the cyclistplaces the rear end of the cleat in contact with a guide portion of therear hook or clamping member of the pedal body. In this position, thecyclist presses the shoe downwardly against the pedal to cause the rearhook or clamping member to initially pivot rearwardly against the forceof a spring to move the rear hook or clamping member to a cleatreleasing position. The rear end of the cleat then enters a positionopposite a back face of the rear hook or clamping member. Then, the rearhook or clamping member returns under the force of a biasing member orspring so that the rear hook or clamping member engages the rear end ofthe cleat. This engagement fixes the cyclist's shoe to the pedal via thecleat.

Typically, these step-in or clipless pedals and the cleats for thesepedals are designed to allow a limited amount of play or float betweenthe pedal and the cleat (while engaged), but prior to disengagement.When releasing the shoe from the pedal, the cyclist will typically turnthe shoe about an axis FP perpendicular or approximately perpendicularto the tread of the pedal, using the front end of the cleat as apivoting point. As a result of this pivoting action, the rear hook orclamping member is pivoted rearwardly against the force of the spring toa cleat releasing position to release the shoe.

With this type of step-in or clipless pedal, the shoe and the pedal arein a state of constant engagement when the cleat is engaged in the cleatclamping members, so the pedaling force can be transmitted efficientlyto the pedals. As a result, step-in or clipless pedals are widelyemployed on racing bicycles used in road racing and mountain bikeracing.

However, these step-in or clipless pedals can be complicated andexpensive to manufacture and assemble. Additionally, these step-in orclipless pedals can become clogged with mud and or debris makingengagement/disengagement difficult. Moreover, some of these step-in orclipless pedal sometimes do not transfer power to the bicycle crank armsin the most efficient manner. Finally, these step-in or clipless pedalcan be uncomfortable and cause fatigue to the riders foot after extendedriding periods.

In view of the above, there exists a need for a bicycle pedal assemblywhich overcomes the above mentioned problems in the prior art. Thisinvention addresses this need in the prior art as well as other needs,which will become apparent to those skilled in the art from thisdisclosure.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One object of the present invention is to provide a step-in bicyclepedal assembly that is relatively easy to assemble and disassemble.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a step-in bicyclepedal assembly that is relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a step-in bicyclepedal assembly that is relatively lightweight and malfunction free.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a step-inbicycle pedal assembly that has a rear floating pivot axis.

The foregoing objects can basically be achieved by providing a bicyclepedal assembly comprising a bicycle pedal and a bicycle cleat. Thebicycle pedal includes a pedal shaft, a pedal body, a front clampingmember and a rear clamping member. The pedal shaft has a first endadapted to be coupled-to a bicycle crank and a second end with a centerrotation axis extending between the first and second ends. The pedalbody is rotatably coupled to the second end of the pedal shaft about thecenter rotation axis of the pedal shaft and has a first end and a secondend. The front clamping member is coupled to the first end of said pedalbody and has a front cleat engagement surface facing in a firstdirection. The rear clamping member is coupled to the second end of thepedal body and has a rear cleat engagement surface facing in the firstdirection. The rear cleat engagement surface is offset from the frontcleat engagement surface. The bicycle shoe cleat is selectivelyengageable with the pedal body via the first and second clamping membersand includes a front attachment portion, a rear attachment portion and aconnecting portion. The front attachment portion has a front couplingsurface selectively engageable with the front engagement surface of thefront clamping member. The rear attachment portion has a rear couplingsurface selectively engageable with the rear engagement surface of therear clamping member. The connecting portion connects the front and rearattachment portions together. The front and rear clamping members andthe front and rear attachment portions are configured to form a rearfloat pivot axis on a rear side of the center rotation axis and a frontcleat release pivot axis on a front side of the center rotation axiswhen the cleat and the pedal are coupled together. The rear float pivotaxis is substantially perpendicular to the rear cleat engagementsurface.

The foregoing objects can also basically be achieved by providingbicycle pedal comprising a pedal shaft, a pedal body, a front clampingmember and a rear clamping member. The pedal shaft has a first endadapted to be coupled to a bicycle crank and a second end with a centerrotation axis extending between the first and second ends. The pedalbody is rotatably coupled to the second end of the pedal shaft about thecenter rotation axis of the pedal shaft and has a first end and a secondend. The front clamping member is coupled to the first end of the pedalbody. The front clamping member has a front cleat engagement surfacefacing in a first direction and a front cleat control surface extendingsubstantially perpendicular to the front cleat engagement surface. Therear clamping member is coupled to the second end of the pedal body. Therear clamping member has a rear cleat engagement surface facing in thefirst direction and a rear cleat control surface extending substantiallyperpendicular to the rear cleat engagement surface. The rear cleatengagement surface is offset from the front cleat engagement surface.The front and rear cleat control surfaces and the front and rear cleatengagement surfaces are configured to form a rear float pivot axis on arear side of the center rotation axis and a front cleat release pivotaxis on a front side of the center rotation axis.

These and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the presentinvention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from thefollowing detailed description, which, taken in conjunction with theannexed drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Referring now to the attached drawings which form a part of thisoriginal disclosure:

FIG. 1 is a partially exploded, perspective view of a bicycle pedalassembly in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, top plan view of the bicycle pedal assemblyillustrated in FIG. 1, with the cleat coupled to the pedal and removedfrom the shoe;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the bicycle pedal assembly illustrated inFIGS. 1 and 2, with the cleat coupled to the pedal and the float of theshoe shown in broken lines;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, top plan view of the front portion of the cleatcoupled to the front portion of the pedal of the bicycle pedal assemblyillustrated in FIGS. 1-3;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged, top plan view of the rear portion of the cleatcoupled to the rear portion of the pedal of the bicycle pedal assemblyillustrated in FIGS. 1-3;

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the bicycle pedal assembly illustrated inFIGS. 1-3, showing the floating movement of the cleat relative to thepedal;

FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the bicycle pedal assembly illustrated inFIGS. 1-3 and 6, showing the cleat being disengaged from the pedal;

FIG. 8 is a top plan view of the bicycle pedal of the bicycle pedalassembly illustrated in FIGS. 1-3, 6 and 7;

FIG. 9 is a bottom plan view of the bicycle pedal illustrated in FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is an exploded, perspective view of the bicycle pedalillustrated in FIGS. 8-9;

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the bicycle pedal assemblyillustrated in FIGS. 1-3, 6 and 7, as seen along section line 11—11 ofFIG. 2;

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the bicycle pedal illustrated inFIGS. 8 and 9, as seen along section line 12—12 of FIG. 8, with thebiasing mechanism removed for the purpose of illustration;

FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of the bicycle pedal illustrated inFIGS. 8 and 9, as seen along section line 12—12 of FIG. 8, with the rearclamping mechanism removed for the purpose of illustration;

FIG. 14 is a top plan view of the rear clamping member of the bicyclepedal illustrated in FIGS. 1-3 and 6-12;

FIG. 15 is a side elevational view of the rear clamping memberillustrated in FIG. 14;

FIG. 16 is a rear elevational view of the rear clamping memberillustrated in FIGS. 14 and 15;

FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view of the rear clamping memberillustrated in FIGS. 14-16, as seen along section line 17—17 of FIG. 14;

FIG. 18 is a bottom plan view of the rear clamping member illustrated inFIGS. 14-17;

FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view of the rear clamping memberillustrated in FIGS. 14-18, as seen along section line 19—19 of FIG. 16;

FIG. 20 is a top plan view of the cleat of the bicycle pedal assemblyillustrated in FIGS. 1-5 and 6-12;

FIG. 21 is a side elevational view of the cleat illustrated in FIG. 20;

FIG. 22 is a partial rear elevational view of the cleat illustrated inFIGS. 20 and 21, as seen along arrow V of FIG. 20;

FIG. 23 is a cross-sectional view of the cleat illustrated in FIGS.20-22, as seen along section line 23—23 of FIG. 20;

FIG. 24 is a bottom plan view of the cleat illustrated in FIGS. 20-23;

FIG. 25 is an exploded perspective view of a bicycle pedal assembly inaccordance with an alternate embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 26 is an enlarged, top plan view of the bicycle pedal assemblyillustrated in FIG. 25, with the cleat coupled to the pedal and removedfrom the shoe;

FIG. 27 is a top plan view of the bicycle pedal assembly illustrated inFIGS. 25 and 26, with the cleat coupled to the pedal and the float ofthe shoe shown in broken lines;

FIG. 28 is an enlarged, top plan view of the front portion of the cleatcoupled to the front portion of the pedal of the bicycle pedal assemblyillustrated in FIGS. 25-27;

FIG. 29 is an enlarged, top plan view of the rear portion of the cleatcoupled to the rear portion of the pedal of the bicycle pedal assemblyillustrated in FIGS. 25-27;

FIG. 30 is a cross-sectional view of the bicycle pedal assemblyillustrated in FIGS. 25-29, as seen along section line 30—30 of FIG. 26;

FIG. 31 is a cross-sectional view of the bicycle pedal illustrated inFIGS. 25-30, as seen along section line 30—30 of FIG. 26, with thebiasing mechanism removed for the purpose of illustration;

FIG. 32 is a cross-sectional view of the bicycle pedal illustrated inFIGS. 25-31, as seen along section line 30—30 of FIG. 26, with the rearclamping mechanism removed for the purpose of illustration;

FIG. 33 is a top, plan view of the rear clamping member of the bicyclepedal illustrated in FIGS. 25-27 and 29-31;

FIG. 34 is a side elevational view of the rear clamping memberillustrated in FIG. 33;

FIG. 35 is a rear elevational view of the rear clamping memberillustrated in FIGS. 33 and 34;

FIG. 36 is a cross-sectional view of the rear clamping memberillustrated in FIGS. 33-35, as seen along section line 36—36 of FIG. 33;

FIG. 37 is a bottom plan view of the rear clamping member illustrated inFIGS. 33-36;

FIG. 38 is a cross-sectional view of the rear clamping memberillustrated in FIGS. 33-37, as seen along section line 38—38 of FIG. 35;

FIG. 39 is a top plan view of the cleat of the bicycle pedal assemblyillustrated in FIGS. 25-31;

FIG. 40 is a cross-sectional view of the cleat illustrated in FIG. 39,as seen along section line 40—40 of FIG. 39;

FIG. 41 is a bottom plan view of the cleat illustrated in FIGS. 39 and40; and

FIG. 42 is a cross-sectional view of the cleat illustrated in FIGS.39-41, as seen along section line 42—42 of FIG. 39.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring initially to FIGS. 1-3, a bicycle pedal assembly 10 isillustrated in accordance with the first embodiment of the presentinvention. The bicycle pedal assembly 10 is designed with a rearfloating pivot axis FP. The bicycle pedal assembly 10 is a clipless orstep-in pedal assembly that basically includes a bicycle pedal 12 and acleat 14 selectively releasably coupled to the bicycle pedal 12. Thecleat 14 is preferably fixedly coupled to a bicycle shoe 16 toreleasably couple the cyclist's foot to the bicycle pedal 12. Thebicycle pedal 12 and the cleat 14 are designed such that the cleat 14floats (or rotates) relative to the bicycle pedal 12 about the rearfloating pivot axis FP when the cleat 14 and the pedal 12 are coupledtogether. Thus, a desired degree or angle θ of float can be attainedwithout interference from other parts of the bicycle. In the illustratedembodiment, the pedal 12 and the cleat 14 are configured such that thecleat 14 floats around the rear float pivot axis FP for about threedegrees in each direction as measured from a center longitudinal axis Bthat passes through the rear float pivot axis FP. The bicycle pedalassembly 10 is also designed to be relatively simple and inexpensive tomanufacture and assemble.

The bicycle pedal assembly 10 is especially designed for use with roadbicycles as opposed to use with an off-road bicycle. However, it will beapparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that thefeatures of the bicycle pedal assembly 10 can be used in theconstruction of an off-road type of bicycle pedal assembly if neededand/or desired. In other words, it will be apparent that while the pedal12 has one side designed to have the cleat 14 coupled thereto, that theprinciples of the present invention could be applied to a two-sidedpedal. The bicycle pedal 12 is fixedly coupled to a bicycle crank arm 18of a bicycle (not shown) for rotation therewith, as seen in FIG. 1. Thebicycle pedal 12 illustrated is a left side pedal. Of course, the leftside pedal 12 is the mirror image of the right side pedal (not shown).Thus, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that thedescription of the left side pedal 12 also applies to a right sidepedal.

As seen in FIGS. 1 and 8-10, the bicycle pedal 12 basically includes apedal shaft or spindle 20, a pedal body 22, a front (first) clampingmember 24 and a rear (second) clamping member 26. The front and rearclamping members 24 and 26 are preferably fixedly coupled to the pedalbody 22, with the front clamping member 24 being fixed to the pedal body22 and the rear clamping member 26 being pivotally coupled to the pedalbody 22. The shaft 20 is adapted to be coupled to the crank arm 18,while the pedal body 22 is rotatably coupled to the shaft 20 forsupporting a cyclist's foot. The pedal shaft 20 has a first end 21 athat is fastened to the crank arm 18 and a second end 21 b (shown inFIGS. 11-13) with the pedal body 22 rotatably coupled thereto. A centerlongitudinal axis A extends between the first and second ends 21 a and21 b of the pedal shaft 20. The pedal body 22 is freely rotatable aboutthe center longitudinal axis A. A cleat receiving area is formed on oneside of the pedal body 22 for receiving and supporting the cleat 14thereon. More specifically, the cleat receiving area is defined as thespace located between the front and rear clamping members 24 and 26.

The pedal shaft 20 is preferably a multi-step spindle having severalstepped portions that are rotatably coupled within a hollow area of thepedal body 22 in a conventional manner. The first end 21 a of the pedalshaft 20 has threads formed thereon for fixedly coupling the pedal 12 tothe crank arm 18 in a conventional manner. Preferably, the threads ofthe left pedal 12 are counter-clockwise threads such that the left pedal12 remains coupled to crank arm 18 in a conventional manner.Alternatively, the threads of the right pedal shaft (not shown) arepreferably clockwise threads such that the right pedal 12 remainscoupled to an opposing crank arm (not shown) in a conventional manner.The second end 21 b of the pedal shaft 20 rotatably supports the pedalbody 22 about the longitudinal axis A by a conventional bearing assembly(not shown).

In particular, the pedal shaft 20 is secured within the hollow area ofpedal body 22 by an inner tube and a lock nut in a conventional manner.More specifically, the pedal shaft 20 has the lock nut mounted thereonto secure a bearing assembly and the pedal shaft 20 within the hollowarea of the pedal body 22. Since these parts are relatively conventionalparts and the specific constructions of these parts are not critical tothe present invention, they will not be discussed or illustrated indetail herein. Rather, these parts will only be discussed as necessaryto understand the present invention.

The front clamping member 24 is fixedly coupled to the pedal body 22,while the rear clamping member 26 is pivotally coupled to the pedal body22. More specifically, the front clamping member 24 is preferably anon-movable member that is integrally formed with the pedal body 22,while the rear clamping member 26 is preferably a separate membermounted on a pivot pin or support pin 28. The pivot pin 28 is coupled tothe pedal body 22. Two torsion springs 29 are preferably coupled betweenthe pedal body 22 and the rear clamping member 26. While two springs 29are preferably mounted on the pivot pin 28, it will be apparent to thoseskilled in the art from this disclosure that fewer or more springs canbe used. Moreover, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art theother types of urging member(s)/resilient member(s) could be utilized tocarry out the present invention. Accordingly, the term “biasing member”as used herein refers to one or more members that applies an urgingforce between two elements.

The cleat 14 is fixedly attached to the bicycle shoe 16 in aconventional manner via fasteners. The cleat 14 is releasably engaged tothe pedal body 22 via the clamping members 24 and 26 in a relativelyconventional manner. In other words, the cleat 14 is designed toreleasably couple the sole of the shoe 16 to the bicycle pedal 12 by thefront and rear clamping members 24 and 26. This type of pedal is oftencalled a step-in or clipless pedal. Specifically, the cleat 14 isengaged with the pedal 12 by pressing the cleat 14 into the pedal 12with a forward and downward motion. This releasably locks the cleat 14to the pedal 12. The cleat 14 can be released from pedal 12 by twistingthe heel of the shoe to the outside of the pedal 12 as discussed belowin more detail (shown FIG. 7). However, the shoe 16 is capable oflimited rotation or float about a rear float pivot axis FP prior todisengagement (shown in FIG. 6), as also discussed below in more detail.

As shown in FIGS. 10-13, the pedal body 22 has a center tubular portion30 (with the hollow area), an inner (first) side portion 32 and an outer(second) side portion 34. The center tubular portion 30 receives thepedal shaft 20 for rotation about the center longitudinal axis A, whilethe side portions 32 and 34 pivotally support the rear clamping member26. The side portions 32 and 34 are coupled together at the front of thepedal body 22 (in a substantially U-shape) to form the front clampingmember 24 as an integral part of the pedal body 22. The parts of thepedal body 22 are preferably made of a lightweight rigid metallicmaterial such as an aluminum alloy. One of the clamping members 24 and26 is located at each end of pedal body 22. In particular, the pedalbody 22 is an A-shaped member with a first (front) closed end 36 and asecond (rear) open end 38. The front clamping member 24 is coupled atthe first end 36, while the rear clamping member 26 is coupled to thesecond end 38. The rear clamping member 26 pivotally coupled between theside portions 32 and 34 via the pivot pin 28.

The center tubular portion 30 is preferably integrally formed with thefirst and second side portions 32 and 34 as a one-piece, unitary member.Moreover, the front clamping member 24 is also preferably integrallyformed with the pedal body 22. Of course, it will be apparent to thoseskilled in the art from this disclosure that other constructions couldbe utilized if needed and/or desired. For example, the pedal body couldbe formed of several separate pieces removably secured together by aplurality of screws or other conventional fasteners. Furthermore, itwill be apparent to those skilled in the art that the front clampingmember 24 could be a separate member that is releasably coupled to aone-piece H-shaped pedal body if needed and/or desired. In any event,the front clamping member 24 is preferably fixedly and non-movablycoupled to the pedal body 22.

The side portions 32 and 34 extend forward and backward from the centertubular portion 30 such that the clamping members 24 and 26 are locatedat opposite ends thereof. The first side portion 32 has a threadedthrough bore 40 (at the second end 38 of pedal body 22) for receivingsupport pin 28 therein, as seen in FIG. 10. The threaded bore 40 aids inproviding an attractive appearance, since the end or head of pin 28 isnot visible from the outside of the pedal body 22. The second (outer)side portion 34 is provided with an unthreaded blind bore 44 alignedwith threaded bore 40 for receiving the outer end of the pivot pin 28.The bores 40 and 44 are configured to secure the pivot pin 28 therein inan aesthetic and reliable manner. Thus, a smooth outer surface can beformed.

The first side portion 32 also has a reinforcing or support portion 42extending outwardly therefrom that is connected to the center tubularportion 30. The support portion 42 is inclined relative to the sideportion 32 and the center longitudinal axis A. An enlarged central blindbore 43 extends through the center tubular portion 30 and the sideportion 32 for rotatably receiving the shaft 20 therein (i.e. to formthe hollow area). Additionally, the second side portion also has areinforcing or support portion 46 extending inwardly therefrom that isconnected to the center tubular portion 30. The support portion 46 isinclined relative to the side portion 34 and the center longitudinalaxis A.

As mentioned above, the front clamping member 24 is preferablyintegrally formed with the pedal body 22. Thus, the front clampingmember 24 is preferably formed of lightweight rigid metallic materialsuch as aluminum alloy. The front clamping member 24 basically includesa front cleat engagement surface 50 and a front pedal control surface52, as seen in FIGS. 9 and 11-13. The front cleat engagement surface 50is a substantially C-shaped flat surface that faces in a downward(first) direction when the pedal 12 is in the normal riding position.The front cleat engagement surface 50 lies in a first plane P₁. Thefront pedal control surface 52 is a transverse surface extendingupwardly from the rear edge of the front cleat engagement surface 50.

More specifically, the front pedal control surface 52 is preferablyarranged substantially perpendicular to the front cleat engagementsurface 50. The front pedal control surface 52 is formed of a concavecurved center section 52 a with a radius of curvature R₁ and a pair ofconcave curved end sections 52 b, each with a radius of curvature R₂that is smaller than the radius of curvature R₁ as shown in FIG. 4. Eachof the curved end sections 52 b has a flat edge surface 52 c extendingoutwardly therefrom. Preferably, the radius of curvature R₁ is aboutthree times the radius of curvature R₂. More specifically, the radius ofcurvature R₁ is preferably about 26.6 millimeters, while the radius ofcurvature R₂ is preferably about 9.0 millimeters. Each end section 52 bhas a center of curvature radially spaced about 17 degrees from a centerline of the pedal 12 (as measured about the center of curvature of thecenter section 52 a) as best seen in FIG. 4.

The front clamping member 24 also preferably includes a transverseabutment surface 54 extending downwardly from the front cleat engagementsurface 50. The abutment surface 54 is substantially perpendicular tothe front cleat engagement surface 50. The abutment surface 54 has acurved center section 54 a with a pair of flat end sections 54 bextending therefrom to form a smooth transition with the end sections 52b of the front pedal control surface 52. These end sections 54 b and/orthe end sections 52 b form stop surfaces that prevent rotation of thecleat 14 about the rear floating pivot axis FP. In other words, thecleat 14 normally floats or rotates relative to the pedal 12 untilportions of the cleat 14 contact portions of the front pedal controlsurface 52 and/or the abutment surface 54, as discussed in more detailbelow.

Referring to FIGS. 10 and 14-19, the rear clamping member 26 has aroughly U-shaped configuration, with its two ends being pivotallysupported by the support pin 28 that passes between the side portions 32and 34 of the pedal body 22. The rear clamping member 26 basicallyincludes a rear clamping portion 60, a mounting portion 62 and a baseportion 64. The mounting portion 62 has a pair of mounting flanges 66extend therefrom to mount the rear clamping member 26 on the support pin28. Specifically, each mounting flange 66 has a through bore 66 a formedtherein for receiving the support pin 28. The base portion 64 has acentrally located stepped bore 64 a formed therein for receiving part ofa tension adjustment mechanism. Specifically, the stepped bore 64 a hasnon-smooth indexing surface configured to mate with a surface of thetension adjustment mechanism 48, as discussed below in more detail. Themounting portion 62 is arranged between the rear clamping portion 60 andthe base portion 64.

The rear clamping portion 60 of the rear clamping member 26 basicallyincludes a rear cleat engagement surface 70 and a rear pedal controlsurface 72. The rear cleat engagement surface 70 is a flat surface thatfaces in the same direction (i.e. the first downward direction) as thefront cleat engagement surface 50. The rear cleat engagement surface 70lies in a second plane P₂ that is offset from the first plane P₁. Morespecifically, the second plane P₂ is preferably located above the firstplane P₁ when the pedal 12 is in the normal riding position. Preferably,the front and rear cleat engagement surfaces 50 and 70 are parallel toeach other. The rear pedal control surface 72 is a transverse surfaceextending upwardly from the rear cleat engagement surface 70. The rearpedal control surface 72 is preferably substantially perpendicular tothe rear cleat engagement surface 70. The rear clamping portion 60 alsopreferably has an inclined guide surface 74 extending upwardly away fromthe transverse rear pedal control surface 72 to aid in the attachment ofthe cleat 14 to the pedal 12.

The rear pedal control surface 72 basically includes a rear pedal pivotsurface 76, a pair of straight side surfaces 78 and a pair of outerinclined sections 79. The rear pedal pivot surface 76 is preferablyformed as a cutout in the rear clamping member 26. The rear pedal pivotsurface 76 includes a flat end section 76 a and a pair of opposing flatsections 76 b connected together by the end section 76 a. The sectionsof the pivot surface 76 are angled relative to each other to form asegmented (or discontinuous) non-curved or non-smooth surface. The rearpedal pivot surface 76 divides the rear cleat engagement surface 70 intotwo sections. The sections of the rear pedal pivot surface 76 areconfigured to form an effective curvature that cooperates with the cleat14 to form the rear floating pivot axis FP. More specifically, in theillustrated embodiment, the rear pedal pivot surface 76 has an effectivecurvature of about 7.0 millimeters (i.e. a circle tangent to end section76 a and opposing sections 76 b has a radius of about 7.0 millimeters).The rear pedal pivot surface 76 cooperates with the cleat 14 such thatthe cleat 14 floats about the rear floating pivot axis FP.

Each of the side surfaces 78 extends from one of the opposing surfaces76 b of the rear pedal pivot surface 76. The outer inclined sections 79extend rearwardly from the side surfaces 78 and aid in the disengagementof the cleat 14 from the pedal 12. More specifically, when the cleat 14floats or rotates a predetermined amount, one of the outer inclinedsections 79 acts as an inclined plane to rotate the rear clamping member26 against the biasing force of the springs 29 to release the cleat 14from the pedal 12. One of the straight surfaces 78 then acts as slidesurface such that the cleat 14 can be completely released from the pedal12.

The torsion springs 29 have their mounting or coiled portions mounted onsupport pin 28, with one end of each spring engaging a part of pedalbody 22 and the other end of each spring engaging a tension adjustmentmechanism 48 (indirectly engaging the rear clamping member 26). Thesprings 29 normally urge the clamping member 26 to rotate about thepivot pin 28 from a cleat releasing position to a cleat engaging orclamping position. In other words, the springs 29 normally maintain theclamping member 26 in cleat engaging position. The retaining forces ofthe springs 29 on the clamping member 26 is mainly controlled bychanging the springs 29 with either weaker or stronger springs. Ofcourse, the shape and the construction of the clamping member 26 can bemodified to change the cleat retaining force if needed and/or desired.Thus, clamping member 26 and/or springs 29 can be easily exchanged tocontrol the cleat retaining force of the pedal 12 or to replace adamaged part.

As best seen in FIGS. 8-10, the tension adjustment mechanism 48 ismounted between the rear clamping member 26 and the springs 29 to adjustthe biasing force of the springs 29 applied to the rear clamping member26. The adjustment mechanism 48 basically includes an adjustment bolt 49a, a support member 49 b and an adjustment plate 49 c. The adjustmentbolt 49 a is threaded into a threaded hole formed in the adjustmentplate 49 c. The head of the adjustment bolt 49 a has a non smoothindexing surface designed to mate with a surface of the rear clampingmember 26 (i.e. the non-smooth indexing surface of the stepped bore 64a). Thus, the adjustment bolt does not become loose due to vibrationsand/or wear. The adjustment plate 49 c is a T-shaped plate. The supportmember 49 b has a groove with a centrally located slot to receive theadjustment plate 49 c and ends of the springs 28. The support member 49b contacts the rear clamping member 26 to apply the biasing force of thesprings 28 to the rear clamping member. The associated springs 28 arenow adjustably placed under tension. This arrangement allows for easyassembly of the bicycle pedal 12. The tension adjustment mechanism isrelatively conventional, and thus, will not be discussed and/orillustrated in detail herein.

A cleat receiving area is formed on one side of the pedal body 22 forreceiving and supporting the cleat 14 thereon. More specifically, thecleat receiving area is defined by the space located between the frontand rear clamping members 24 and 26 in which the cleat 14 is received.The front and rear clamping members 24 and 26 engage the cleat 14 toreleasably couple the sole of the shoe 16 to the bicycle pedal 12.Specifically, the cleat 14 is engaged with the pedal 12 by pressing thecleat 14 into pedal 12 with a forward and downward motion. Thisreleasably locks the cleat 14 to the pedal 12. The cleat 14 can bereleased from the pedal 12 by twisting the heel of the shoe to theoutside of the pedal 12 as discussed below in more detail.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 20-24, bicycle shoe cleat 14 basically includesa center connecting portion 80, a first or front attachment portion 82extending from one end of center connecting portion 80 and a second orrear attachment portion 84 extending from the other end of the centerconnecting portion 80. The center connecting portion 80 has an uppersole side facing in a first direction for engaging the sole of the shoe16 and a lower pedal side facing in a second direction which issubstantially opposite to the first direction. Preferably, the centerconnecting portion 80 and the attachment portions 82 and 84 areintegrally formed together as a one-piece, unitary member, which isconstructed from a suitable rigid material. The interconnection of thecleat 14 to the sole is relatively well known in the art, and thus, thisinterconnection will not be discussed or illustrated in detail herein.

The front attachment portion 82 of the cleat 14 basically includes afront coupling surface 86 and a front cleat control surface 88. Thefront coupling surface 86 is selectively engageable with the frontengagement surface 50 of the front clamping member 24. The front cleatcontrol surface 88 cooperates with the front pedal control surface 52 tocontrol movement of the cleat 14 relative to the pedal 12. Specifically,the front cleat control surface 88 is a transverse surface extendingupwardly from the front coupling surface 86. Preferably the front cleatcontrol surface 88 is substantially perpendicular to the front couplingsurface 86 and includes a central convex curved surface 88 a and a pairof end surfaces 88 b as seen in FIG. 4.

The central convex surface has a radius of curvature R₃ smaller than theradius of curvature R₁ of the concave surface 52 a of the front pedalcontrol surface 52. Moreover, the radius of curvature R₃ is preferablysubstantially equal to or slightly smaller than the radius of curvatureR₂ of the end sections 52 b of the front pedal control surface 52.Specifically, the radius of curvature R₃ is preferably about 9.0millimeters. The end surfaces 88 b correspond generally in shape to theedge surfaces 52 c of the front pedal control surface 52. Thus, thecentral convex curved surface 88 a and one of the pair of end surfaces88 b act as a stop surface.

The rear attachment portion 84 of the cleat 14 basically includes a rearcoupling surface 90 and a rear cleat control surface 92. The rearcoupling surface 90 is selectively engageable with the rear engagementsurface 70 of the rear clamping member 26. The rear cleat controlsurface 92 cooperates with the rear pedal control surface 72 to controlmovement of the cleat 14 relative to the pedal 12. Specifically, therear cleat control surface 92 is a transverse surface extending upwardlyfrom the rear coupling surface 90. Preferably the rear cleat controlsurface 92 is an inclined surface forming an angle of about 100 degreeswith the rear coupling surface 90 and includes a central convex curvedsurface 92 a, a pair of straight side surfaces 92 b and a pair ofinclined edge surfaces 92 c.

The rear attachment portion 84 includes a projection 94 extendingrearwardly therefrom to divide the rear coupling surface 90 into a pairof sections. The central convex curved surface 92 a is formed on theprojection 94. The central convex curved surface 92 a has a radius ofcurvature R₄ approximately equal to the effective curvature of the rearpedal pivot surface 76 (i.e. about 7.0 millimeters) such that the cleat14 normally rotates or floats about the rear floating pivot axis FP.Once the front attachment portion 82 stops rotating or floating due tothe configurations of the front pedal and cleat control surfaces 52 and88, the cleat 14 will rotate around a front disengagement pivot axis DPas seen in FIG. 7. The edge surfaces 92 c then cooperate with the edgesurfaces 72 c to disengage the cleat 14 from the pedal 12.

Referring again to FIG. 3, a pedaling force center PFC is aligned withthe rear float pivot axis FP when the cleat 14 is in a straight(non-floated) orientation. The PFC is the center point of application ofthe pedaling force of the rider and lies on a forward pedaling forcevector F. However, the cleat 14 is prefarably capable of floating(rotating) approximately three degrees (i.e. a total of six degrees) ineither direction from the straight (non-floated) orientation about therear float pivot axis FP. Even when the cleat 14 floats or rotates aboutthe rear float pivot axis FP relative to the pedal 12, the pedalingforce center PFC remains substantially aligned (or only slightly offset)from the rear float pivot axis FP such that the cleat 14 does notaccidentally become disengaged from the pedal 12. In other words, theforward pedaling force vector F is applied substantially along both therear float pivot axis FP and the pedaling force center PFC. Thus,effective pedaling power is achieved without disengagement.

SECOND EMBODIMENT

Referring now to FIGS. 25-42, a bicycle pedal assembly 110 isillustrated in accordance with a second embodiment of the presentinvention. The bicycle pedal assembly 110 of this second embodimentoperates in a manner substantially identical to the bicycle pedalassembly 10 of the first embodiment. However, the structure of thebicycle pedal assembly 110 of this second embodiment has been modified.

Specifically, the bicycle pedal assembly 110 of this second embodimentincludes a modified bicycle pedal 112 and a modified bicycle shoe cleat114. More specifically, the pedal 112 and the cleat 114 are configuredto have a rear floating pivot axis FP′ located rearwardly of the cleat114 when the cleat 114 is coupled to the pedal 112. The main differencein this second embodiment compared to the first embodiment is that thepedal 112 has a modified rear clamping member and the cleat 114 has amodified rear attachment portion. In view of the similarities betweenthis second embodiment and the first embodiment, the followingdescription will focus mainly on the differences. However, it will beapparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that most ofthe descriptions of the first embodiment also apply to this secondembodiment.

As seen in FIGS. 25-27, the bicycle pedal 112 basically includes a pedalshaft or spindle 120, a pedal body 122, a front (first) clamping member124 and a rear (second) clamping member 126. The front and rear clampingmembers 124 and 126 are preferably fixedly coupled to the pedal body122. The shaft 120 is adapted to be coupled to a crank arm in a manneridentical to the first embodiment, while the pedal body 122 is rotatablycoupled to the shaft 120 for supporting a cyclist's foot in a manneridentical to the first embodiment. The pedal shaft 120 has a first end121 a that is fastened to the crank arm and a second end 121 b (shown inFIGS. 30-32) with the pedal body 122 rotatably coupled thereto. A centerlongitudinal axis A′ extends between the first and second ends 121 a and121 b of the pedal shaft 120. The pedal body 122 is freely rotatableabout the center longitudinal axis A′. A cleat receiving area is formedon one side of the pedal body 122 for receiving and supporting the cleat114 thereon. More specifically, the cleat receiving area is definedbetween the front and rear clamping members 124 and 126.

Referring to FIGS. 25-32, the front clamping member 124 is fixedlycoupled to the pedal body 122 while the rear clamping member 126 ispivotally coupled to the pedal body 122. More specifically, the frontclamping member 124 is preferably a non-movable member that isintegrally formed with the pedal body 122 while the rear clamping member126 is preferably a separate member mounted on a pivot pin or supportpin 128. The pivot pin 128 is coupled to the pedal body 122. Two springs129 are preferably coupled between the pedal body 122 and the rearclamping member 126. While two springs 129 are preferably mounted on thepivot pin 128, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art from thisdisclosure that fewer or more springs can be used. Moreover, it will beapparent to those skilled in the art the other types of urgingmember(s)/resilient member(s) could be utilized to carry out the presentinvention. Accordingly, the term “biasing member” as used herein refersto one or more members that applies an urging force between twoelements.

The pedal body 122 is substantially identical to pedal body 22 of thefirst embodiment and basically includes a center tubular portion 130, aninner (first) side portion 132 and an outer (second) side portion 134.The center tubular portion 130 receives the pedal shaft 120 for rotationabout the center longitudinal axis A′, while the side portions 132 and134 pivotally support the rear clamping member 126. The side portions132 and 134 are coupled together at the front of the pedal body 122 (ina substantially U-shape) to form the front clamping member 124 as anintegral part of the pedal body 122. In other words, the pedal body 122is an A-shaped member with a first (front) closed end 136 and a second(rear) open end 138. The front clamping member 124 is coupled at thefirst end 136 while the rear clamping member 126 is coupled to thesecond end 138. The rear clamping member 124 pivotally coupled betweenthe side portions 132 and 134 via the pivot pin 128. The first sideportion 132 has a threaded through bore (not shown) at the second end138 of pedal body 122 for receiving support pin 128 therein. The second(outer) side portion 134 is provided with an unthreaded blind bore 144aligned with threaded bore for receiving the outer end of the pivot pin128 in a manner identical to the first embodiment. The bore 140 and thethreaded bore (not shown) are configured to secure the pivot pin 128therein in an aesthetic and reliable manner.

Referring still to FIGS. 25-32, the front clamping member 124 basicallyincludes a front cleat engagement surface 150 and a front pedal controlsurface 152. The front cleat engagement surface 150 is a substantiallyC-shaped flat surface that faces in a first (downward) direction whenthe pedal 112 is in the normal riding position. The front cleatengagement surface 150 lies in a first plane P₁′. The front pedalcontrol surface 152 is a transverse surface extending upwardly from thefront cleat engagement surface 150. More specifically, the front pedalcontrol surface 152 is preferably substantially perpendicular to thefront cleat engagement surface 150 and has a concave curved centersection 152 a with a radius of curvature R₁′ and a pair of end sections152 b extending outwardly therefrom. Radius of curvature R₁′ ispreferably about 26.6 millimeters as best seen in FIG. 28.

The front clamping member 124 also preferably includes a transverseabutment surface 154 extending downwardly from the front cleatengagement surface 150. The abutment surface 154 is substantiallyperpendicular to the front cleat engagement surface 150 and has a curvedcenter section 154 a with a pair of flat end sections 154 b extendingtherefrom to form stop surfaces that prevent rotation of the cleat 114about the rear floating pivot axis FP′.

As best seen in FIGS. 28, 29 and 33-38 the rear clamping member 126 hasa roughly U-shaped configuration, with its two ends being pivotallysupported by the support pin 128 that passes between the side portions132 and 134 of the pedal body 122. The rear clamping member 126basically includes a rear clamping portion 160, a mounting portion 162and a base portion 164. A pair of mounting flanges 166 extend from themounting portion 162 and the base portion 164 to mount the rear clampingmember on the support pin 128. Specifically, each mounting flange 166has a through bore 166 a formed therein for receiving the support pin128. The base portion 164 has a centrally located stepped bore 164 aformed therein for receiving part of a tension adjustment mechanism 148.The tension adjustment mechanism 148 is substantially identical to thetension adjustment mechanism 48 of the first embodiment. Thus, thetension adjustment mechanism 148 will not be discussed and/orillustrated in detail herein. The mounting portion 162 is arrangedbetween the rear clamping portion 160 and the base portion 164.

The rear clamping portion 160 of the rear clamping member 126 basicallyincludes a rear cleat engagement surface 170 and a rear pedal controlsurface 172. The rear cleat engagement surface 170 is a flat surfacethat faces in the same direction (i.e. the first downward direction) asthe front cleat engagement surface 150. The rear cleat engagementsurface 170 lies in a second plane P₂′ that is offset from the firstplane P₁′. More specifically, the second plane P₂′ is preferably locatedabove the first plane P₁′ when the pedal 12 is in the normal ridingposition. Preferably, the front and rear cleat engagement surfaces 150and 170 are parallel to each other. The rear pedal control surface 172is a transverse surface extending upwardly from the rear cleatengagement surface 170. The rear pedal control surface 172 is preferablysubstantially perpendicular to the rear cleat engagement surface 170.The rear clamping portion 160 also preferably has an inclined guidesurface 174 extending upwardly away from the transverse rear pedalcontrol surface 172 to aid in the attachment of the cleat 114 to thepedal 112.

The rear pedal control surface 172 basically includes a rear pedal pivotsurface 176 and a pair of side surfaces 178. The rear pedal pivotsurface 176 is preferably a continuous convex curved surface, whichconnects the side surfaces 178. The side surfaces 178 are angledrelative to each other to provide space for the float of the cleat 114.The rear pedal pivot surface 176 forms an effective curvature thatcooperates with the cleat 114 to form the rear floating pivot axis FP′.More specifically, the rear pedal pivot surface 176 has an effectivecurvature of about 8.0 millimeters, which cooperates with a surface ofthe cleat 114 such that the cleat 114 floats about the rear floatingpivot axis FP′ as best seen in FIG. 29.

Each of the side surfaces 178 has an outer inclined section 179extending rearwardly therefrom. The outer inclined sections 179 aid inthe disengagement of the cleat 114 from the pedal 112. Morespecifically, when the cleat 114 floats or rotates a predeterminedamount, one of the outer inclined sections 179 acts as an inclined planeto rotate the rear clamping member 126 against the biasing force of thesprings 129 to release the cleat 114 from the pedal 112. One of the sidesurfaces 178 then acts as slide surface such that the cleat 114 can becompletely released from the pedal 112.

The torsion springs 129 have their mounting or coiled portions mountedon support pin 128, with one end of each spring engaging a part of pedalbody 122 and the other end of each spring engaging the tensionadjustment mechanism 148 (indirectly engaging the rear clamping member126). The springs 129 normally urge the clamping member 126 to rotateabout the pivot pin 128 from a cleat releasing position to a cleatengaging or clamping position. In other words, the springs 129 normallymaintain the clamping member 126 in cleat engaging position.

Referring to FIGS. 28, 29 and 39-42, the bicycle shoe cleat 114basically includes a center connecting portion 180, a first or frontattachment portion 182 extending from one end of center connectingportion 180 and a second or rear attachment portion 184 extending fromthe other end of the center connecting portion 180. Preferably, thecenter connecting portion 180 and the attachment portions 182 and 184are integrally formed together as a one-piece, unitary member, which isconstructed from a suitable rigid material. The center connectingportion 180 has a plurality of holes formed therein for receivingfasteners (not shown) in a manner substantially identical to the firstembodiment. Specifically, the cleat 114 is designed for use with threefasteners. The interconnection of the cleat 114 to the shoe sole is wellknown in the art, and thus, this interconnection will not be discussedor illustrated in detail herein.

The front attachment portion 182 of the cleat 114 basically includes afront coupling surface 186 and a front cleat control surface 188. Thefront coupling surface 186 is selectively engageable with the frontengagement surface 150 of the front clamping member 124. The front cleatcontrol surface 188 cooperates with the front pedal control surface 152to control movement of the cleat 114 relative to the pedal 112.Specifically, the front cleat control surface 188 is a transversesurface extending upwardly from the front coupling surface 186.Preferably the front cleat control surface 188 is substantiallyperpendicular to the front coupling surface 186 and includes a centralconvex curved surface 188 a and a pair of end surfaces 188 b.

The central convex surface 188 a has a radius of curvature R₃′ smallerthan the radius of curvature R₁′ of the concave surface 152 a of thefront pedal control surface 152. The end surfaces 188 b correspondgenerally in shape to the end sections 152 b of the front pedal controlsurface 152. Thus, the two opposed flat end sections 154 b of theabutment surface 154 act as stop surfaces when a portion of the cleat114 contacts these surfaces.

The rear attachment portion 184 of the cleat 114 basically includes arear coupling surface 190 and a rear cleat control surface 192. The rearcoupling surface 190 is selectively engageable with the rear engagementsurface 170 of the rear clamping member 126. The rear cleat controlsurface 192 cooperates with the rear pedal control surface 172 tocontrol movement of the cleat 114 relative to the pedal 112.Specifically, the rear cleat control surface 192 is a transverse surfaceextending upwardly from the rear coupling surface 190. Preferably, therear cleat control surface 192 forms an angle of about ninety degreeswith the rear coupling surface 190 and includes a central concave curvedsurface 192 a, a pair of straight side surfaces 192 b and a pair ofinclined edge surfaces 192 c. The shape of the rear cleat controlsurface 192 corresponds generally in shape to the rear pedal controlsurface 172. However, the straight side surfaces 192 b and the inclinededge surfaces 192 c are spaced from the side surfaces 178 and the outerinclined sections 179 to allow the cleat 114 to float about the pivotaxis FP′.

The central concave curved surface 192 a has a radius of curvature R₄′approximately equal to (or slightly larger than) the curvature of therear pedal pivot surface 176 (i.e. about 8.0 millimeters) such that thecleat 114 normally rotates or floats about the rear floating pivot axisFP′. Once the front attachment portion 182 stops rotating or floatingdue to the configuration of the abutment surface 154, the cleat 114 willrotate around a front disengagement pivot axis (not shown) in a mannersubstantially identical to the first embodiment. The edge surfaces 192 cthen cooperate with the edge surfaces 172 c to disengage the cleat 114from the pedal 112.

Referring again to FIG. 27, a pedaling force center PFC′ is aligned withthe rear float pivot axis FP′ when the cleat 114 is in a straight(non-floated) orientation. The PFC′ is the center point of applicationof the pedaling force of the rider and lies on a forward pedaling forcevector F′. However, the cleat 114 is prefarably capable of floating(rotating) approximately three degrees (i.e. a total of six degrees) ineither direction from the straight (non-floated) orientation about therear float pivot axis FP′ in a manner substantially identical to thefirst embodiment. In other words, the pedal 112 and the cleat 114 areconfigured such that the cleat 114 floats around the rear float pivotaxis FP′ for about three degrees in each direction as measured from acenter longitudinal axis B′ that passes through the rear float pivotaxis FP′. Thus, a desired degree or angle θ′ of float can be attained.

Even when the cleat 114 floats or rotates about the rear float pivotaxis FP′ relative to the pedal 112, the pedaling force center PFC′remains substantially aligned (or only slightly offset) from the rearfloat pivot axis FP′ such that the cleat 114 does not accidentallydisengage from the pedal 112 during pedaling. In other words, theforward pedaling force vector F′ is applied substantially along both therear float pivot axis FP′ and the pedaling force center PFC′. Thus,effective pedaling power is achieved without disengagement.

As used herein, the following directional terms “forward, rearward,above, downward, vertical, horizontal, below and transverse” as well asany other similar directional terms refer to those directions of abicycle equipped with a pedal of the present invention and when thepedal is horizontally oriented relative to the ground. Accordingly,these terms, as utilized to describe the present invention should beinterpreted relative to a bicycle equipped with a pedal of the presentinvention.

The terms of degree such as “substantially”, “about” and “approximately”as used herein mean a reasonable amount of deviation of the modifiedterm such that the end result is not significantly changed. These termsshould be construed as including a deviation of at least ±5% of themodified term if this deviation would not negate the meaning of the wordit modifies.

While only selected embodiments have been chosen to illustrate thepresent invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art fromthis disclosure that various changes and modifications can be madeherein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined inthe appended claims. Furthermore, the foregoing description of theembodiments according to the present invention are provided forillustration only, and not for the purpose of limiting the invention asdefined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. A bicycle pedal assembly comprising: a bicyclepedal including a pedal shaft having a first end adapted to be coupledto a bicycle crank and a second end with a center rotation axisextending between said first and second ends, a pedal body rotatablycoupled to said second end of said pedal shaft about said centerrotation axis of said pedal shaft, said pedal body having a first endand a second end, a front clamping member coupled to said first end ofsaid pedal body, said front clamping member having a front cleatengagement surface facing in a first direction, and a front pedalcontrol surface with a curve center section, and a rear clamping membermovably coupled to said second end of said pedal body to form a cleatreceiving area between said front and rear clamping members, said rearclamping member having a rear cleat engagement surface facing in saidfirst direction that is offset from said front cleat engagement surfaceand a rear pedal control surface; and a bicycle shoe cleat selectivelyengageable with said bicycle pedal via said front and rear clampingmembers, said cleat including a front attachment portion having a frontcoupling surface selectively engageable with said front cleat engagementsurface of said front clamping member and a curved front cleat controlsurface, said curved center section of said front pedal control surfacehaving a curvature at least about twice as large as said front cleatcontrol surface, a rear attachment portion having a rear couplingsurface selectively engageable with said rear cleat engagement surfaceof said rear clamping member and a rear cleat control surface, and aconnecting portion connecting said front and rear attachment portionstogether, said rear control surfaces being arranged to prevent lateralmovement of said rear attachment portion of said cleat relative to saidrear clamping member to form a substantially stationary rear float pivotaxis on a rear side of said center rotation axis prior to releasingmovement of said rear clamping member when said cleat is coupled to saidpedal within said cleat receiving area, said rear float pivot axis beingsubstantially perpendicular to said rear cleat engagement surface, saidfront control surfaces being arranged such that said front attachmentportion of said cleat is moveable laterally along said curved centersection of said front pedal control surface about said rear float pivotaxis from a center position in opposite lateral directions by apredetermined amount in each of said opposite lateral directions withoutlaterally shifting said rear float pivot axis when said cleat is coupledto said pedal within said cleat receiving area, said front and rearcontrol surfaces being further configured to form a front cleat releasepivot axis on a front side of said center rotation axis, said cleatpivoting about said front cleat release pivot axis after said frontattachment portion of said cleat moves said predetermined amount in atleast one of said opposite lateral directions to cause releasingmovement of said rear clamping member when said cleat is coupled to saidpedal within said cleat receiving area.
 2. The bicycle pedal assemblyaccording to claim 1, wherein said front pedal control surface includesa pair of laterally spaced curved end sections connected by said curvedcenter section, said curved center section having a radius of curvatureat least twice as large as each of said curved end sections.
 3. Thebicycle pedal assembly according to claim 1, wherein said rear pedalcontrol surface includes a rear pedal pivot surface configured tocontact at least two points of a rear cleat pivot surface of said rearcleat control surface.
 4. The bicycle pedal assembly according to claim3, wherein said rear pedal pivot surface is a transverse surface that isformed by a cutout in said rear clamping member.
 5. The bicycle pedalassembly according to claim 4, wherein said rear cleat pivot surface isa transverse surface that is formed by a projection extending upwardlyfrom said rear coupling surface of said cleat.
 6. The bicycle pedalassembly according to claim
 5. wherein said rear pedal pivot surface isa discontinuous surface having at least two opposing flat sections. 7.The bicycle pedal assembly according to claim 6, wherein said rear pedalpivot surface includes an end section connecting said opposing flatsections.
 8. The bicycle pedal assembly according to claim 7, whereinsaid rear cleat pivot surface is a convex curved surface arranged tocontact each of said opposing sections and said end section of said rearpedal pivot surface when said cleat is coupled to said pedal within saidcleat receiving area.
 9. The bicycle pedal assembly according to claim6, wherein said rear cleat pivot surface is a convex curved surfacearranged to contact each of said opposing sections of said rear pedalpivot surface when said cleat is coupled to said pedal within said cleatreceiving area.
 10. The bicycle pedal assembly according to claim 9,wherein said rear cleat engagement surface includes a pair of engagementsections with said rear pedal pivot surface arranged therebetween. 11.The bicycle pedal assembly according to claim
 3. wherein said frontpedal control surface is a concave curved surface and said front cleatcontrol surface is a convex curved surface.
 12. The bicycle pedalassembly according to claim 11, wherein said concave front pedal controlsurface and said convex front cleat control surface are transversesurfaces extending from said front cleat engagement surface and saidfront coupling surface, respectively.
 13. The bicycle pedal assemblyaccording to claim 12, wherein at least one of said front pedal controlsurface and said front cleat control surface includes a pair of stopsurfaces arranged to limit lateral movement of said front attachmentportion of said cleat relative to said pedal.
 14. The bicycle pedalassembly according to claim 3, wherein said rear pedal pivot surface isa transverse surface with a convex curved center section.
 15. Thebicycle pedal assembly according to claim 14, wherein said rear cleatpivot surface is a transverse surface with a concave curved centersection.
 16. The bicycle pedal assembly according to claim 3, whereinsaid front and rear cleat engagement surfaces are substantiallyparallel.
 17. The bicycle pedal assembly according to claim
 16. whereinsaid front cleat engagement surface lies in a plane closer to saidcenter rotation axis than said rear cleat engagement surface.
 18. Thebicycle pedal assembly according to claim
 1. wherein said front pedalcontrol surface is a concave curved surface and said front cleat controlsurface is a convex curved surface.
 19. The bicycle pedal assemblyaccording to claim 18, wherein said concave front pedal control surfaceand said convex front cleat control surface are transverse surfacesextending from said front cleat engagement surface and said frontcoupling surface, respectively.
 20. The bicycle pedal assembly accordingto claim 19, wherein at least one of said front pedal control surfaceand said front cleat control surface includes a pair of stop surfacesarranged to limit lateral movement of said front attachment portion ofsaid cleat relative to said pedal.
 21. The bicycle pedal assemblyaccording to claim 1, wherein said front clamping member is non-movablycoupled to said pedal body.
 22. The bicycle pedal assembly according toclaim 21, wherein said front clamping member is integrally formed withsaid pedal body as a one-piece, unitary member.
 23. The bicycle pedalassembly according to claim 1, wherein said rear clamping member ispivotally coupled to said pedal body.
 24. The bicycle pedal assemblyaccording to claim 23, wherein said rear clamping member is normallybiased toward an engaged position by a biasing member arranged betweensaid pedal body and said rear clamping member.
 25. The bicycle pedalassembly according to claim 24, wherein said rear clamping member andsaid biasing member are mounted on a support pin that is coupled to saidpedal body.
 26. The bicycle pedal assembly according to claim 1, whereinsaid pedal and said cleat are configured such that said rear float pivotaxis remains substantially aligned with a pedaling force center whensaid cleat floats relative to said pedal around said rear float pivotaxis to prevent accidental release of said cleat from said pedal. 27.The bicycle pedal assembly according to claim 26, wherein said pedalingforce center lies on said center rotation axis.
 28. The bicycle pedalassembly according to claim 1, wherein said pedal and said cleat areconfigured such that said cleat floats about three degrees relative tosaid pedal in each of said opposite lateral directions around said rearfloat pivot axis as measured relative to a center longitudinal axis ofsaid pedal passing through said first and second ends of said pedal bodyand intersecting said rear float pivot axis when said cleat and saidpedal are coupled together.
 29. A bicycle pedal comprising: a pedalshaft having a first end adapted to be coupled to a bicycle crank and asecond end with a center rotation axis extending between said first andsecond ends; a pedal body rotatably coupled to said second end of saidpedal shaft about said center rotation axis of said pedal shaft, saidpedal body having a first end and a second end; a front clamping membercoupled to said first end of said pedal body, said front clamping memberhaving a front cleat engagement surface facing in a first direction anda front pedal control surface extending substantially perpendicular tosaid front cleat engagement surface, said front pedal control surfacehaving a concave curved center section and a pair of concave curved endsections connected to each other by said curved center section, saidcurved center section having a radius of curvature at least twice aslarge as a radius of curvature of each of said curved end sections; anda rear clamping member movably coupled to said second end of said pedalbody, said rear clamping member having a rear cleat engagement surfacefacing in said first direction and a rear pedal control surfaceextending substantially perpendicular to said rear cleat engagementsurface, said rear cleat engagement surface being offset from said frontcleat engagement surface, said front and rear pedal control surfaces andsaid front and rear cleat engagement surfaces being configured to form arear float pivot axis on a rear side of said center rotation axis and afront cleat release pivot axis on a front side of said center rotationaxis.
 30. The bicycle pedal according to claim 29, wherein said rearclamping member is pivotally coupled to said pedal body for rotationabout an axis substantially parallel to said center rotation axis. 31.The bicycle pedal according to claim 30, wherein said rear clampingmember is a rigid, non-wire member.
 32. The bicycle pedal according toclaim 30, wherein said rear clamping member is normally biased toward anengaged position by a biasing member arranged between said pedal bodyand said rear clamping member.
 33. The bicycle pedal according to claim32, wherein said rear clamping member and said biasing member aremounted on a support pin that is coupled to said pedal body.
 34. Thebicycle pedal according to claim 29, wherein said rear float pivot axisis substantially perpendicular to said rear cleat engagement surface.35. The bicycle pedal according to claim 34, wherein said front releasepivot axis is substantially perpendicular to said front cleat engagementsurface.
 36. The bicycle pedal according to claim 29, wherein said frontand rear cleat engagement surfaces are substantially parallel.
 37. Thebicycle pedal according to claim 36, wherein said front cleat engagementsurface lies in a plane closer to said center rotation axis than saidrear cleat engagement surface.
 38. The bicycle pedal according to claim29, wherein said front clamping member is non-movably coupled to saidpedal body.
 39. The bicycle pedal according to claim 38, wherein saidfront clamping member is integrally formed with said pedal body as aone-piece. unitary member.
 40. The bicycle pedal according to claim 29,wherein said front and rear pedal control surfaces and said front andrear cleat engagement surfaces are configured with about three degreesof cleat float in each direction around said rear float pivot axis asmeasured relative to a center longitudinal axis passing through saidfirst and second ends of said pedal body and intersecting said rearfloat pivot axis.